1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of jewelry items such as belt buckles, rings, cufflinks, tie tacks, and relates to the field of such jewelry items with rotatable bars.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The following prior art patents are relevant to the particular field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 1,972,205 issued to Taylor on Sep. 4, 1934 for "Indicating Device or The Like" (hereafter the "Taylor patent").
2. U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,926 issued to Quant on Nov. 19, 1940 for "Selective Character Bearing Device" (hereafter the "Quant patent").
3. U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,054 issued to Bach on Jul. 30, 1957 for "Mechanical Tally" (hereafter the "Bach patent").
4. U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,794 issued to Ostrower on Nov. 24, 1959 for "Interchangeable Belt and Stop Buckle Combination" (hereafter the "Ostrower patent").
5. U.S. Pat. No. 2,976,630 issued to Montfort on Mar. 28, 1961 for "Key-Ring-Trinket" (hereafter the "Montfort patent").
6. U.S. Pat. No. 3,304,638 issued to Grandell et al. on Feb. 21, 1967 for "Activated Changeable Advertising Sign" (hereafter the "Grandell patent").
7. U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,791 issued to Ong on Apr. 15, 1986 for "Buckle" (hereafter the "Ong patent").
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,125 issued to Choi on Oct. 28, 1986 for "Key Holder With Changeable Indicia Display" (hereafter the "Choi patent").
9. U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,580 issued to Giannetti et al on Jan. 27, 1987 for "Publicity Board With Rotating Prismatic Members" (hereafter the "Giannetti patent").
10. Swiss Patent No. 177,422 issued to Ziegler on Aug. 1, 1935 (hereafter the "Swiss patent ('422)").
11. German Patent No. 2,139,851 issued to Breguet on Mar. 30, 1972 (hereafter the "German patent").
12. Swiss Patent No. 614,064 issued to Utiger on Oct. 31, 1979 (hereafter the "Swiss patent ('064)").
The Taylor patent discloses an indicating device having a series of rings 19 mounted on a sleeve 11. The periphery of each ring 19 is divided by intermediate exterior radial notches 21 into a plurality of segments 22 each decorated differently. A line of aligned segments of the plurality of rings 19 is displayed through an elongated window opening 28 of a tubular casing 23 which surrounds the plurality of rings 19. The casing 23 has a series of openings 30 containing a spring-pressed ball 31 engageable with the notches 21 of the respective rings 19 for yieldably holding the rings 19 in proper position with respect to the window opening 28.
The Quant patent discloses a selective character bearing device having channel shaped holder 10, a locking plate 14 and several character pieces 17. The locking plate 16 has several lateral spring locking fingers for holding the character pieces in position.
The Bach patent discloses a mechanical golf tally having a multiplicity of hollow disks 24 and hollow washers 32 mounted on a stem and stacked alternatively. Each disk 24 has several recesses 25 at its bottom, and each washer 32 has a rounded projection 36 at its top. Washers 32 are not rotatable and disks 24 are, and the rotation of an individual disk 24 is regulated by the washer 32 underneath as the projection 36 of the washer 24 is engaged to one of the recesses 25 of the disk 24. A pair of washer springs 46 and 48 are placed at the top and the bottom of the pile of disks 24 and washer 32 to press them together. The design of the Bach patent is similar to that of the Taylor patent but without the biasing coil springs.
The Ostrower patent discloses an interchangeable belt and stop buckle combination having a buckle A and a belt F. Buckle A has a frame with double loop structure B for receiving the anchoring end J of belt F, and a prong E for locking the free end G of belt F. The Ostrower patent is cited as being of general interest as disclosing a quick exchangeable belt and buckle arrangement. The Ostrower patent buckle has a fixed oblique bar member 13 for decoration.
The Montfort patent discloses a key-ring-trinket having a similar structure as the Taylor patent. The Montfort patent has a series of rings 3 mounted on a tubular axle 4 and contained in a housing 1. A special segment of a ring 3 may be aligned to a window 2 of housing 1 for viewing. Each ring 3 has tenons 6 at one side and recesses 8 at the other side. When positioned next to each other and biased by a coil spring at one end of housing 1, the rotation of an individual ring 3 is regulated by the tenons 6 of the next ring engaged to the recesses 8 of the individual ring 3.
The Grandell patent discloses an activated changeable advertising sign having a multiplicity of triple-sided rotatable bars 16 driven by an electrical motor 38.
The Ong patent discloses a two part buckle having an attachment part 1 and a connecting part 3 rotatably connected by a screw 12 which is in turn biased by a coil spring 13. Attachment part 1 is affixed to one end of a belt and connecting part 2 receives the other end of the belt. Connecting part 2 is a hollow frame having a rotatable double-sided badge holder 7. The decorating badge holder 7 is a hollow bar mounted on another hollow shaft 11 pivoted on the frame of connecting part 3, and the rotation of the badge holder is not regulated by spring 13.
The Choi patent discloses a key holder with changeable indicia display. The positions of the indicia bearing elements of the Choi patent are secured by threaded screw members.
The Giannetti patent discloses an advertising board with rotating prismatic members having structures similar to the Grandell patent.
The Swiss patent ('422) discloses a device including a multiplicity of displaying rings 2 each having several side 10 biased by a spring 9.
The German patent is a device including a multiplicity of displaying rings 11 mounted on a shaft 15 which has many columns of recesses 19. Each ring has an inner chamber for housing a biasing spring 24 and small ball 26. The rotation of an individual ring 11 can be controlled by the spring-biased ball 26 when it is engaged into the recesses 19 on the periphery of shaft 15.
The Swiss patent ('064) discloses an advertising device having two spaced apart rows of triple-sided rods 4 each attached with an endless display web 14. The surface of each web has a number of picture strips 15.
Most of the rotating objects in the prior art are hollow objects such as rings, disks or washers mounted on a central shaft. None of the prior art patents has disclosed a rotatable bar mounted to a frame at its opposite ends without an extra shaft. In addition, none of the prior art patents has disclosed the idea of using a single biasing spring to support two small balls at its opposite ends for regulating the rotation of the rotatable objects.